Epidemiology Flashcards
The study of occurrences and distributions of health-related states
Epidemiology
The pattern of frequency of the occurrence of health events particularly within a specific aggregate or congregation
Distribution
Characteristics of descriptive epidemiology
Qualitative; explores the 4 W’s: What is the disease? Who is affected? Where are they? When do events occur?
Characteristics of analytic epidemiology
Quantitative; assesses origins/causes of disease and determinants of health event; How does it occur? Why are some people affected more than others?
Purposes of epidemiology
Monitor population health, understand determinants of health and disease in communities, investigate/evaluate interventions for disease prevention and health maintenance
How do nurses use epidemiology?
Look at health and disease causation and how both prevent and treat illness; involved in surveillance and monitoring of disease trends (homes, schools, workplaces, and clinics)
___ is the biggest factor in mortality rates over the age of 40
Age
Components of the epidemiological triangle
Agent, host, environment
Animate or inanimate factor that must be present for a disease to develop such as bacteria, fungus, virus, parasite
Agent
Living species capable of being infected by the agent
Host
Internal, external, and all given influences that can harm or potentiate the agent
Environment (moisture, darkness, light)
Level of prevention that promotes health and prevents diseases before they begin
Primary
Examples of primary interventions
Handwashing, wearing a seatbelt, taking folic acid in pregnancy
Interventions designed so a person who has a disease will be diagnosed early enough for a cure (or best-case outcome)
Secondary
Examples of secondary interventions
Health screenings, PAP, mammograms, colonoscopies, lipid profiles
Interventions that limit disability and enhancing rehabilitation from disease
Tertiary
Example of tertiary interventions
Rehabilitation centers
Term used to describe precision (consistent results from person to person)
Reliability
Term used to describe accuracy
Validity
_____ trends are long-term
Secular
Population or group of persons that have some characteristic of interest
Cohort
Study in which cohort is followed over time to assess a health outcome
Cohort study
Cohort study in which the cohort does not have diagnosis
Prospective
Cohort study based on historical records such as medical or death records of those who were exposed
Retrospective
Study in which subjects are enrolled because they are known to have the outcome of interest, or DO NOT have the outcome of interest
Case-control study
Study described as a snapshot in time across a certain population or group; data is gathered on current health status and risk factors and is analyzed for trends
Cross-sectional study
Bias that only looks at people who have survived a particular event
Survival bias
Study that looks at descriptive components of disease rate (person, place, time) and analyzes the relationship between disease and rates; only aggregate data
Ecological study
Characteristics of experimental studies
Randomization, control, blinding (randomized and double-blind is strongest study)
Studies that assess interventions and whether they help with instances of overall disease
Community trials
The nurse is reviewing hospital charts about C.Diff over the past year. This is an example of what kind of trial?
Retrospective
Emergence factors of emerging diseases
Societal events, health care, food production, human behavior, public health, microbial adaptation
Vaccine preventable diseases
Routine child immunization schedule, measles, rubella, pertussis, influenza
